A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Culinary herb outdoor/indoor transitions

Howdy everyone.
I'm more a cook than a botanist, but I started growing herbs last spring in response to buying some fresh ones at the local market. Couldn't believe the difference in the taste. So I started growing the buggers.

Now I'm just looking at how to keep em alive indoors. Any thoughts on lighting, hydration, food, soil, will be aprreciated. I know next to nothing and I surprised that they have done as well as they have so far. In inventory, W/status since being brought inside

Rosemary: doing well, slightly paler leaves than outside.
Sweet: Basil Some stem die off
Sage: slight browning of lower leaves
Thyme: doing good new shoots have fewer leaves than before but good color and growth
Chives: loss of color, but good growth
Curled leaf Parsley: doing good
Sweet Marjoram: starting to worry me, some die off on bottom leaves looks wilting at some points around plant
Oregano: doing good
All are in hanging baskets with water reservoir at bottom getting decent light but few hours direct sun. I know some aren't going to make it. But I'd like to not add to the carnage if I can help it
Any input will be appreciated

I grow mine in the kitchen under a fluorescent light. They do fine. Water as needed, fertilize every month. They're content without too much fuss. I have basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme and savory. Of course, they don't get nearly as big as when I have them outside but I get what I need. Good Luck.
Christina

I do bring this finicky plant indoors for the winter, it wouldn't survive the maine winters, but some years it'll make it indoors and some years it won't, it needs to be in a cool place, and let it dry out a little bit between waterings

Thyme, oregano, chives are perenialls here, so they stay in the garden outside, as a matter of fact the thyme I can harvest all year round, unless it's buried under 2 feet of snow,

I will cut all the chives and parsley down to the ground, chop and store in the freezer

sage and marjoram I buy new every spring

I am definitely pruning my basil often to keep it's size down since my apartment is small. I'm drying what I get each time and by the time one batch is dry the basil is ready to be pruned again so it is working very very well. I have green onions and chives inside as well and they both do great in a north facing window but then I am down in Virginia zone 7a. I would have more but the roma tomatoes I am over wintering are taking the rest of the kitchen garden space lol.

I don't know what i did but all my herbs died. I brought them in from out side and then they were ok for a bit, week or so and then died. I'm so sad. I had basil, lavendaer, peppermint, oh and some others but all died . Can I start some more herbs in side ? any help would be great!! Dee

Sure you can restart your herbs. They will do fine started any time of the year indoors. Now lavendar I have never had any luck with so you might want to ask someone else about that one. As far as the peppermint it likes moist conditions and the mints mutate almost constantly so you may not get peppermint but you will get mint if you are starting from seed.

I've never had much luck growing herbs in the house, I think my problem is that I don't have or don't provide the right environment for them, My window sills are full of cactus and aloe vera's. So providing the right environment is the trick to success.

Your place must be much drier than mine is. I have a bunch of humidity naturally here and then when I get to cooking it really steams up "jungle-style" lol. Have you tried having one spot where you can put the humidity trays under your pots? Just a thought.